Tablet container having tablet release means



y 1967 PER TORSTEN ENGLESSON 3,319,827

TABLET CONTAINER HAVING TABLET RELEASE MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May28, 1964 Fig.3

m m I INVENTOR. PER TORSTEN ENGLESSOIV A TTOR/VEKS y 1967 PER TORSTENENGLESSON 3,319,827

TABLET CONTAINER HAVING TABLET RELEASE MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May28, 1964 INVENTOR. PER TORSTEN ENGLESSON BY MAW A/fcmeys United StatesPatent 3,319,827 TABLET CONTAINER HAVHNG TABLET RELEA$E MEANS PerTorsten Englesson, Sjovagen 3, Danderyd, Sweden Filed May 28, 1964, Ser.No. 371,056 Ciaims priority, application Sweden, May 31, 1963, 6,061/639 Qlairns. (Cl. 221-299) This invention relates to a container, tabletbox or the like, particularly for small units, such as tablets, whichcontainer comprises a supply part and a discharge part. The requirementsput on such containers for tablets are, that the tablets should beeasily packed therein, when refilling with certain common standarddoses, and that the tablets or the like must be able to be storedtherein without damages and that they should be easily discharged in anywanted number, such as one or two at a time. Finally the containeritself should have a compact and pleasant shape and be easy to carry inpockets, handbags or the like.

A disadvantage of such previous containers and tablet boxes is that thetablets or the like, during the storing in the container, will becrumbled to pieces and that the containers are dilficult to open withoutshaking out their contents and that it is difficult to feed out exactlythe wanted amount of tablets or the like.

This invention has for its objects to eliminate the above mentioneddisadvantages and mainly consists therein that the supply part of thecontainer is arranged as a supply chamber for a randomly heaping ofunits, that is as a chamber having a three-dimensional extension,whereas the discharge part in the shape of a discharge channel, isadapted for linearly ordered units. In accordance with an embodiment afore-room is arranged between the supply part and the discharge part, inwhich room the units from the three-dimensional heaping in the supplychamber are re-arranged to a two-dimensional order so as to more easilytransfer the units to the onedimensional order in the discharge channel.The supply chamber is thereby suitably formed by a partition wall,mainly parallel with the main direction of the discharge channel, whichwall has a length inferior to the length of the side wall of thecontainer lying along the discharge channel and is unattached at leastat its one end and thereby, partly forms a partition wall between thesupply chamber and the fore-room, partly allows the free passage of theunits through at least one opening at said end, between this end and oneof the walls of the container perpendicular to the discharge channel.

According to a further embodiment of the invention a support wall isarranged centrally within the supply chamber, the length of which doesnot exceed that of the said partition. The bottom of said chamber androom and of the discharge channel as well as side and other walls arethereby suitably made integrally to form a single bottom part and theclosure part for said bottom part should be arranged as a cover, theside walls of which enclose the side walls of the bottom part. Thebottom part, as well as the cover, may be made of plastics and one ofsaid parts is preferably made of transparent plastics.

By means of the invention it is made possible to easily pack the tabletsin the bottom part by filling the supply chamber either up to thesupport wall or up to the partition wall, which latter separates thesupply chamber and the fore room. These walls are thereby preferablyarranged with such a spacing to the side of the container, directed fromthe discharge channel, that the supply chamber up to the support wallcontains e.g. 250 tablets 3,3l9,827 Patented May 16, 1967 and up to thepartition wall 500 tablets. If the bottom part or the cover part aremade of transparent plastics, there is a possibility during sale or useto see how much it really contains. An advantage of the tablet boxaccording to the invention is also that the mentioned partition wallsstiffen the container bottom, so that the tab lets will not be crumbledto pieces between the bottom and the cover of the container and so thatthe move ments of the tablets within the box are reduced, for instancewhen the box is carried in a pocket.

According to another advantage of the container of the invention, inspite of the simple packing by randomly heaping the units in the supplychamber, it is possible, through the fore-room, wherein the tablets fromthe three-dimensional heaping are re-arranged to a twodimensional order,and on account of the one-dimensional order in the discharge channel, toeasily feed out one or more tablets at a time.

By making the container have a small height and small dimensions for therest, it is easily carried in a pocket, a ladys handbag or the like andit may for instance have a height of 5 to 8 millimeters and it need not,for the rest, be much greater in square than a match box.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the dischargemechanism is arranged mainly along the side wall or" the container,directed from said supply part, and the mouth of the channel isseparated from the discharge opening of the supply chamber by a wallwhich has a suitably arcurate surface directed towards said dischargeopening, which surface extends to the intake of the channel which liesone or more units widths from the mouth of the channel. Furthermore bycounter-sinking the bottom of the discharge channel somewhat relative tothe bottom of the fore-room a sharp edge is formed between said bottompart and the bottom of the channel. This measure will contribute to theeasy putting of the tablets into a One-dimensional order in the channel.In order to facilitate the feeding of the tablets in the channel, thebottom of said channel may be lowered step-wise in one or more steps inthe direction towards the mouth.

The invention will be described more in detail in connection with theattached drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottom part of a tablet box accordingto the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover part for said bottom parttogether with a discharge mechanism separated from the cover part,

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a section of the discharge channel in itslongitudinal direction with the discharge mechanism inserted into thecover part, whereby FIG. 3 represents the mechanism in its unactuatedcondition and FIG. 4 represents said mechanism in its actuatedcondition, and

FIG. 5 represents another embodiment of the bottom part of a tablet box.

As appears from FIG. 1 the bottom part of the represented embodimentconsists of a plastic member made in one piece and comprising a bottomsurface and three side walls 8, l8 and it, united to the bottom surfaceat three sides thereof. By means of a partition wall 4, arrangedpar-allel to the side wall 13 at a distance from said side wall equal toapproximately two thirds of the distance between said side wall and theopposed bottom edge, the bottom part of the container is divided into asupply chamber 1 and a fore-room 3. Along the romote edge of the bottompart, as counted from the side wall 18, a discharge channel 2, having amouth 19 and a artition 21, is arranged in connection with thefore-room. At both sides of the partition 4, at its ends 7 and 9 andbetween said ends and the side walls, openings 6 and 10, respectively,are left through which openings tablets by shaking may be fed to thefore-room and therefrom to the 3 intake 22 of the channel 2. As shown inFIG. 1 round tablets are piled up to a heap in the supply chamber 1,whereas in the fore-room a number of tablets are situated evenly uponits bottom. Two tablets are shown in the discharge channel 2.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a modified embodiment of a bottom part,essentially corresponding to the embodiment according to FIG. 1 andwherein the same designations represent the same parts as in FIG. 1. Inthe said figure, however, the arrangement is modified so as to be betteradapted to tablets of a rectangular shape and therefore the dischargechannel 2 has been arranged parallel with the side edge of the bottompart and moreover the bottom of the channel has been countersunkrelative to the bottom of the fore-room 3. The rectangular tablets arethereby more easily put into a one-dimensional order along the dischargechannel.

It is import-ant, in the embodiment according to FIG. 1 as well as inthat according to FIG. 5, that the width of the channel is greater thanthe width of a tablet unit but smaller than the total width of two suchunits. It is also suitable that the spacing between the bottom and thecover, partition and side walls, between the two supply chamber walls,between the partition and the flow divider wall, as well as between thepartition wall and the side wall directed against said partition wall ofa long depressed part of the cover along the discharge channel,essentially differs from the sum of widths and thicknesses of multipleunits.

FIG. 2 shows the cover part 14 of the container or tablet box. It isarranged with a depending extended part 23 above the discharge channel 2of the container bottom part in order to make the height of lastmentioned part somewhat greater than the thickness of a unit but smallerthan the total thickness of two units. The cover part has side walls 15,16, 17 and 5. In the said extended depression in the cover a dischargemechanism 24 is adapted to be inserted which mechanism comprises parts26 to 31, inclusive, and is shown separated from the cover in FIG. 2.

The discharge mechanism 24 is arranged in the shape of an angularly bentlastic piece, preferably of a plastic having very good flexibility, e.g.Delrin, on account of which the one branch 28 of said piece is providedwith a fastening projection 29 intended to be inserted into acorresponding recess 30 in the extended depression 23 of the cover 14.The branch 28 is somewhat reduced in thickness in front of the saidfastening point so that for the same a bending indication having a givenmotion centre 31 is obtained. Between said indication and the angularbending a downwardly directed resilient member 26 is arranged andintended to be inserted through an opening 32 in the extended depression23 of the cover 14. Said member thereby reaches into the dischargechannel and is arranged therein to engage the second tablet, as countedfrom the mouth of discharge channel, in order to make the discharge ofthe tablet situated adjacent to said mouth possible. The other branch 25of the discharge piece is arranged as a lid 25 covering the mouth 19 ofthe discharge channel, which lid has a discharge opening 26 bounded likea hook by the lower edge 27 of the lid.

The discharge mechanism is thereby suitably arranged obliquely above thedischarge channel so that its centre line and the centre line of thedischarge mechanism 24 do not coincide. Owing thereto the opening 26 ofthe lid 25 in front of the channel mouth 19 may be shaped as a hook 27.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 the discharge mechanism is shown in section in itsclosed and opened condition, respectively. It appears that it ispossible to open the lid 25 against spring action and it is providedwith an opening 26 so that the mouth 19 of the discharge channel isexposed in the one position of the lid 25 in which position theresilient member 26, as has already been stated, is actuated upon duringthe movement of the lid (FIG. 4) and thereby presses at least the tabletnext to that or those tablets, which are just being fed out, against thebottom of the discharge channel, whereby the movement of the pressureatcuated tablet as well as of the succeeding tablets in the directiontowards the opening is prevented, whereas the discharging of that orthose tablets, being situated nearest to the opening, by the action ofgravity, is made possible.

As appears from FIG. 2 the hook shaped lower edge 27 of the lid 25 isextended so far towards the side wall 5 of the discharge channel 2 andinto a recess 33 therein, that the movement of the discharge mechanism24 upwards is restricted. Owing thereto the discharge mechanism, when itis situated in its position within the extended depression in thecontainer cover, will be seated with its outer boundary surface flushwith one side surface 15 of the cover 14.

The invention has been described in relation to certain specificembodiments but it is obvious that it may be varied in many otherrespects and that it is therefore restricted only by the scope of theattached claims.

What I claim is:

1. A compact container for receiving small articles such as pills ortablets and operable for dispensing the articles one at a time, saidcontainer comprising walls defining a closed supply chamber forreceiving the articles in random order in three dimensions, said wallsalso defining a discharge passage at one end of the container having adischarge end opening to the outside of the container and an entranceend inside the container, said walls confining said discharge passage toa width and height such that the articles can pass therealong in asingle layer in single file only, a second chamber in said containeradjacent said one end thereof and into which said entrance end of saiddischarge passage opens and which second chamber has restrictedcommunication with said supply chamber so that articles transferred fromsaid supply chamber to said second chamber will normally be in smallamount and can distribute themselves in a single layer in said secondchamber and can then readily move therefrom in single file into theentrance end of said discharge passage, a discharge control membermoveably mounted on said container and having an end part normallydisposed in closing relation to said discharge end of said dischargepassage to prevent discharging of articles therefrom, means for movingsaid member to cause said end part thereof to release said discharge endof said passage for the discharge of an article therefrom, and resilienttongue means depending from said member and normally disposed outsidesaid discharge passage and operable for resiliently clampingly engagingthe article in the discharge passage next to the article therein at thesaid discharge end of the discharge passage as said member is moved toarticle discharging position.

2. A compact container according to claim 1 in which said supply chamberand second chamber are parts of a main chamber in said container, apartition in said container near one end of said main chamber dividingit into a larger said supply chamber and a smaller said second chamber,said partition at at least one end thereof being spaced from theadjacent container wall to provide said restricted communication betweensaid supply cham her and said second chamber.

3. A compact container according to claim 2 in which said containercomprises a bottom part having a bottom wall and peripheral wallsupstanding from the bottom wall, said partition also upstanding fromsaid bottom wall, said container also comprises a top part having a topwall and peripheral walls dependent therefrom, said top part telescopingover said bottom part, said discharge passage being in the form of anupwardly opening groove in said bottom part at one end thereof, and aportion on said top part below the level of the top wall thereof whichextends over and closes the top of said groove when said parts areassembled.

4. A compact container according to claim 3 in which said dischargepassage is positioned adjacent an end wall of the bottom part of saidcontainer and is confined on one side by the adjacent end wall of thebottom part of said container and on the other side of a wall elementupstanding from the bottom wall of the bottom part of the container andspaced from said end wall, said wall element terminating a substantialdistance from the side of said container opposite the side in which saiddischarge end of said discharge passage is located to provide a wideapproach to said entrance end of said discharge passage.

5. A compact container according to claim 4 in which said wall elementand the adjacent end wall are inclined so the portion of said dischargepassage adjacent said entrance end is inclined toward said supplychamber.

6. A compact container according to claim 4 in which the bottom wall ofsaid discharge passage is formed by the bottom of a recess extendingbelow the bottom level of said second chamber, said recess extendinginto said second chamber from the entrance end of said discharge passagefor receiving and orienting articles to be fed into the entrance end ofsaid discharge passage.

7. A compact container according to claim 4 in which said top part has arecess extending thereacross above said portion thereof which closes thetop of said discharge passage, said control member being dropped in saidrecess, the side of said container at said discharge end of said passagebeing notched so as to form a continuation of said recess, said end partof said control member being disposed in said notch.

8. A compact container according to claim 7 in which said control memberis resilient and has its end opposite said end part thereof anchored tosaid top part of the container, said end part having an aperture whichregisters with said discharge end of said discharge passage when saidmember is depressed on said top part, said end part having an upwardlyfacing shoulder formed thereon, and said notch having a downwardlyfacing shoulder found thereon, said shoulder engaging when said memberis released to stop the member in a position where it is flush with saidtop part.

9. A compact container according to claim 8 in which said resilientfinger projects angularlyfrom the underside of said member, and anaperture in said portion of said top part through which said fingermoves when said member is depressed so as to engage the next to the lastarticle in said discharge passage before the aperture in said end partof said member aligns with the said discharge end of said dischargepassage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,249,141 12/1917Litchfield 221-301 X 2,348,449 5/1944 Chandler 221-299 2,606,088 8/1952Leaf 221- 2,766,763 10/1956 Shough 221-301 X 2,795,354 6/1957 Freudlichet al. 221-312 X 3,018,921 1/1962 Hermanson 221-299 X 3,154,217 10/1964Gregg et al. 221-155 X 3,224,634 12/1965 Semsch 221-299 FOREIGN PATENTS190,441 7/1956 Austria. 1,113,200 11/1955 France.

331,360 11/1935 Italy.

WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

1. A COMPACT CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING SMALL ARTICLES SUCH AS PILLS ORTABLETS AND OPERABLE FOR DISPENSING THE ARTICLES ONE AT A TIME, SAIDCONTAINER COMPRISING WALLS DEFINING A CLOSED SUPPLY CHAMBER FORRECEIVING THE ARTICLES IN RANDOM ORDER IN THREE DIMENSIONS, SAID WALLSALSO DEFINING A DISCHARGE PASSAGE AT ONE END OF THE CONTAINER HAVING ADISCHARGE END OPENING TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER AND AN ENTRANCEEND INSIDE THE CONTAINER, SAID WALLS CONFINING SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE TOA WIDTH AND HEIGHT SUCH THAT THE ARTICLES CAN PASS THEREALONG IN ASINGLE LAYER IN SINGLE FILE ONLY, A SECOND CHAMBER IN SAID CONTAINERADJACENT SAID ONE END THEREOF AND INTO WHICH SAID ENTRANCE END OF SAIDDISCHARGE PASSAGE OPENS AND WHICH SECOND CHAMBER HAS RESTRICTEDCOMMUNICATION WITH SAID SUPPLY CHAMBER SO THAT ARTICLES TRANSFERRED FROMSAID SUPPLY CHAMBER TO SAID SECOND CHAMBER WILL NORMALLY BE IN SMALLAMOUNT AND CAN DISTRIBUTE THEMSELVES IN A SINGLE LAYER IN SAID SECONDCHAMBER AND CAN THEN READILY MOVE THEREFROM IN SINGLE FILE INTO THEENTRANCE END OF SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE, A DISCHARGE CONTROL MEMBERMOVEABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CONTAINER AND HAVING AN END PART NORMALLYDISPOSED IN CLOSING RELATION TO SAID DISCHARGE END OF SAID DISCHARGEPASSAGE TO PREVENT DISCHARGING OF ARTICLES THEREFROM, MEANS FOR MOVINGSAID MEMBER TO CAUSE SAID END PART THEREOF TO RELEASE SAID DISCHARGE ENDOF SAID PASSAGE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF AN ARTICLE THEREFROM, AND RESILIENTTONGUE MEANS DEPENDING FROM SAID MEMBER AND NORMALLY DISPOSED OUTSIDESAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE AND OPERABLE FOR RESILIENTLY CLAMPINGLY ENGAGINGTHE ARTICLE IN THE DISCHARGE PASSAGE NEXT TO THE ARTICLE THEREIN AT THESAID DISCHARGE END OF THE DISCHARGE PASSAGE AS SAID MEMBER IS MOVED TOARTICLE DISCHARGING POSITION.